Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control system for gaming, and more particularly, to a control system for individuals who require or desire to limit gaming expenditures, time spent gambling and other, related parameters and factors.
2. Background Information
Gaming or gambling has been a part of human history since antiquity. Participants traditionally have engaged in gaming or gambling activities in a face-to-face relationship. Commercial establishments, termed casinos, for gaming or gambling are recent developments, but participants still carried out gaming or gambling activities in a face-to-face relationship.
More recently, electronic gaming or gambling machines have become important means of participating in gambling. Examples of electronic gaming or gambling machines include slot machines, video poker machines, and similar electronic games. Until recently, in order to participate in gambling or gaming activities, individuals still were required to travel to an establishment where these electronic machines are housed.
An even more recent development is gaming or gambling over the Internet or World Wide Web (on line), which is generally defined as a global data telecommunications network. The individual merely has to connect to the Internet through a computer having a phone line modem, or another means of access to the Internet, log on to a gaming Web site, and participate in a wide variety of gaming or gambling activities that are offered online. The participating individuals employ credit card or similar credit accounts as a source of funds for these gaming activities.
Many individuals have either become addicted to gaming or gambling activities, or have developed gambling-related problems due to an inability to properly control their impulses to gamble. In many cases, such gambling problems have resulted in financial ruin due to gambling losses, as well as psychological and/or physiological problems and severe family problems. Other individuals, though not addicted, nor currently having a serious problem with gamboling, desire to limit the amount of funds and time spent on gambling activities to avoid the development of problems. Thus, there is an unmet need for a gaming control system that monitors gaming activities and thereby can be programmed to help both problem gamblers and those who wish to avoid developing a problem, by limiting the amount of funds spent by an individual on gaming activities, and/or time spent gambling. In addition, the system can observe behavioral changes related to gambling that may indicate developing xe2x80x9cproblem gamblingxe2x80x9d issues. Applicant has devised such a gaming control system that is applicable to all forms of gaming or gambling, including electronic means.
The invention is a gaming control system applicable to all forms of gambling, electronic or otherwise. The system includes an Internet Web site, and associated control software, which constitutes a portal that serves as a xe2x80x9csafe gamingxe2x80x9d interface between individuals who gamble online and Internet-based gambling sites. The system also allows players at physical gaming locations to register with the system in order to participate in xe2x80x9csafe gamingxe2x80x9d at video terminals or at gaming tables. The control software tracks each registered individual""s gaming transactions and interjects alerts to the individual when reaching loss limits, time limits, or when changes in gambling behavior signal an issue, and other related services. There is an xe2x80x9cexpert systemxe2x80x9d component to the software, in that knowledge of the individual user, the gambling games, and gambling behavior are programmed into the applications. Using this xe2x80x9cknowledge basexe2x80x9d, the software can then reveal variances from the norm or established parameters, and recognize problems based upon comparison of monitored behavior with the knowledge base.